To build back up requires that one person
by Theheartlessscholar
Summary: As Ethan gets ready to go home, he sees a familiar figure from the Goldenrod City incident from 11 years back. Trying to help her, he tries to find out what happened to her and how the world has changed around her. Ethan X Ariana. First story ever posted on here. Rated M for adult situations.


Disclaimer: I don't own the pokemon franchise nor the characters used in this story. Best believe if I did, Ash would've been gone at the beginning of the 5th gen and replaced by somebody else who actually will evolve their whole team.

Saffron City, a city no matter how many times a person comes by it, they're always fascinated by the lights, the grandiose structure of the Silph Company, the community and they can always find something to partake in. Whether it be battling, trading or battling certain gym leaders again. There is one familiar face though. Ethan, the young boy now man who became the Indigo League champion after stopping the tyranny of the crime syndicate known as Team Rocket, obtained the badges of both the Johto and Kanto regions, and also defeated the legendary trainer known as Red at Mt. Silver.

11 years have gone by since he's taken the whole pokemon scene by storm. He's more mature than he was, has gone through a physical metamorphosis, and he's always searching for ways to better himself or for the people that have always believed in him since the very beginning. Right now, he's searching through the effervescent streets of Saffron hoping he can get a quick battle, just for old time's sake. His trusty friend Typhlosion is currently standing next to him seeing that he never leaves his side since Ethan is more than his master, he's his very best friend.

"It's been some time since we last came here, huh Typhlosion?" He says with a grin to that volcano pokemon standing next to him.

"Yeah, it's good that we're able to visit this place again and not much has changed." Typhlosion responded to him in his native pokemon language but due to the bond they share, they are somehow able to understand each with very little trouble.

Even after so long he's become champion, he still finds the feeling a bit overwhelming seeing that he was just a young kid from New Bark Town going on a journey to explore what the world of pokemon had to offer. Sometimes he even thinks about those times since he personally feels that those were his golden years because of the experience. Yes, it's hard to see when life goes by in a flash and the next thing you know, you're recognized because of all your accolades and status that it's hard to be treated as just a regular person. Ethan is no such person though, he treats everybody with humility because he feels that he really shouldn't be treated any differently than before he became the Indigo League champion and a member of the elite four. Time to time, he does enjoy the praise but he just wants to live life the way he seems fit.

Seeing that Ethan has a team of pokemon and many others stored inside the storage system created by pokemon researcher Bill, he'll switch his team every now and then when he feels that it's time for a change of pace. Typhlosion, which of course started as a Cyndaquil is by his side a majority of the time seeing that he was Ethan's first pokemon. His original team consists of Typhlosion, Ampharos, Kingdra, Crobat, Golem, and Bellossom. They're currently traveling with him at the moment inside their pokeballs with Typhlosion outside of course.

Right now, he's just trying to find a regular battle but sees that nobody is in Saffron Square and to add, it is pretty late at night so the chances that somebody there to battle is seldom at the moment. Ethan decides to wait for half an hour with Typhlosion to see if somebody is ready to battle but unfortunately no luck. He looks to Typhlosion and says, "Looks like there really isn't anybody out here, huh pal?" Typhlosion responds with a grunt which indicates yes but pats his friend's back to inform him not to act despondent and that there is always next time for a battle. "Don't worry, sometimes it's just not the right time and people aren't in the mood." Typhlosion responds in pokespeak. Ethan looks at him with a bright grin which contrasts the view of the night time and says, "Yeah, you're right! Let's go home so we can figure out what we can do tomorrow." The volcano pokemon sends out a flamethrower to indicate that he and Ethan knows there will always be a next time.

As Ethan and Typhlosion walk to the train station, they see a woman with torn rags in a cryptic alley shivering and hiding her face from the world. As they look both left and right, they're both thinking 'Did nobody see this woman sitting here? The world is a crazy place at times.' The duo goes up to the woman and Ethan looks at her before questioning, "Excuse me miss, are you ok?" The cloaked woman turns her head around not answering hoping the young trainer would get the message and leave. It seems that Ethan can be quiet stubborn when instructed on doing something. He tries once again, this time tapping her on the shoulder hoping to get her attention which he does.. And the woman finally turns around screaming "What the hell do you want from me?!" Ethan recognizes this woman from before and all he says is, "Ariana, is that you?"

Ethan just couldn't believe it. Ariana, one of the former executives of Team Rocket- the organization he took down over a decade ago is staying in an alley in Saffron City. He just can't believe who he's seeing right now; Typhlosion sees his trainer in state of utter shock and shakes him out of his stupor so he can figure out what's going on.

"Huh? Oh, thanks for that Typhlosion." He concentrates on the woman sitting on the hard concrete and wonders what she's doing here.

"Ariana, what are you doing here?" He asks her hoping to get a response.

She looks at him for a brief second and knows he looks familiar but can't really remember much because it's been a long time since she's had an interaction with a decent human being. After scanning his visage, she finally talks, "Huh? How do you know me? Why are you talking to me? I'm just a helpless woman in Saffron City just trying to scrape by whatever possible remains are around me. Also, you look very familiar boy, who are you?" She demands with an irritated tone.

"I'm Ethan, the boy from over a decade ago who defeated you and the other Team Rocket members to prevent you guys from taking over the Goldenrod tower. Are you really sure you don't remember me?" He asks while looking into her crimson eyes.

She looks closer and tries to piece everything in order until she finally remembers all the events that took place that day. She remembers a young boy coming through defeating her, the other Rocket executives and the grunts who were under their command. Ariana rises up from her stationary position and gives the young man a stinging slap across his face which surprises him, "Now I remember you! You're the reason why I'm like this today! How dare you try to talk to me after that humiliating defeat! Do you have any idea what I've been through for the past 11 years after we went defunct?! Do you?!" She screams with anger and animosity laced within her voice. Ariana just can't believe this brat could just come here all this time and pretend everything was ok.

Currently rubbing his cheek, Ethan started wondering why she had slapped him, 'Wow, that hurt and I didn't see that coming,' He felt that this woman must have been through a lot of hardships during the time that she was no longer part of Team Rocket. He just couldn't believe that this was where she was the whole time. Typhlosion flared after his best friend was hit but Ethan had told him to relax seeing that it was just a slap, not a fatal injury.

"Um, that really hurt you know but I'm glad to see you remember me. Ariana, let me help you, come with me so you can have some food and a place to sleep because you're not looking the best out here at your current state." Ethan held his hand out hoping she would take his offer but she had slapped it away not accepting his pity for her.

"I don't need some snot-nosed brat offering to help me, I've been doing fine all by myself, 11 years to be exact. As long as I don't attract random attention from any assholes out here, I'm perfectly fine by myself." She looked at him with much disdain and it seems she was very determined to not accept his help at all.

Ethan sighed, this was one hell of a situation he was currently in. Here he was talking to a former Rocket executive in a Saffron City alley, gotten slapped by her, and offered help which she flat-out denied on the spot. What could he do? He wasn't gonna force her to do something she didn't want and to top it all off, she was a woman and he definitely didn't like to force any woman/girl to do what she didn't want. He probably felt like his respect for the opposite sex was putting him at a whim's end but had no idea on how to confront it. All of a sudden he had an idea and hoped it would get some progress.

Ethan looked towards Ariana with a smile and said, "Ok, how about I treat you to a nice dinner at least? You look like you haven't been eating properly in a long time and I just can't bare to see you like this. Besides, what else do you have to lose? Right now, you're sitting by yourself hoping for your next meal to come by. I'm hoping you take my offer and show you that there are people who are willing to help you."

This made her think, he was right. When was her next meal going to come by? He held his hand out once more to see if she would come with him and accept his offer. Ariana sighed, rose up from her grungy disposition and said, "I have no idea what you want but if you're willing to treat me to a nice meal where I don't have to possibly hope for scraps to fall from the sky then I'll take you up on your offer but I still don't like you." There was some reluctance in her voice but decided to take an easier way out instead of living this wayward lifestyle she had been living for so long.

Ethan beamed and clapped his hands together. "All right! Trust me, you won't regret this decision and to be honest, it's nice to talk to somebody since it can be a bit lonesome for me in a big house from time to time. Call it the negative perks of being a champion."

Ethan helped Ariana pick up all her belongings and even noticed she had a pokeball which indicated she had some sort of protection, "I see you have some pokemon so you're not really lonely here."

Ariana wondered what he was talking about until she saw the pokeball next to her and said, "Oh yeah, my Murkrow. I had other pokemon but they were taken away from me when authorities found out I didn't have a way to take care of them but what can you do?" She then threw the ball into the air releasing the pokemon and out came a Murkrow who was looking a bit tired and hungry just like its trainer. "This Murkrow is all I have and and I have no idea what I'd do without her. It's too bad I don't have a dusk stone so I can make her a Honchkrow." She looked really sad just looking at her Murkrow because she knew that it deserved much better than it did at the moment.

"Murkrow..." the darkness pokemon responded with such weakness in its voice that as soon as it started to walk, it looked like it was gonna fall over, until Ariana caught it and said, "It's ok, we're gonna get something to eat soon so don't worry, ok?" Hearing this, the Murkrow had looked like an angel had saved them and made happy noises that it was finally going to get something to eat after all this time.

Ethan looked at the two and smiled until he said, "Ok, let's go. We're gonna go take the train from Saffron to Goldenrod and then we'll go to my house so I can cook you some food and also give you a chance to tidy up. Is that ok?" Ariana and Murkrow both agreed that they would like to be cleaned up since it's been some time since their last shower.

"Wait, your house is in Johto?" asked Ariana.

Ethan answers, "Yeah, as much as I like the Kanto region, Johto is where my heart is always gonna be since that was where I was raised and also where I started my journey."

Ethan, Typhlosion, and Ariana carrying her Murkrow walk towards the train station. The group reaches inside and Ethan goes to the ticket booth to purchase tickets for himself and Ariana. After the procedures are done for the two, they put their pokemon inside their pokeballs seeing that it's mandatory rule for train travelers. They then see the train pull up to the platform and go inside to take their seats. Seeing as it's pretty late at night, they sit near a window facing each other opposite but the power of slumber eventually takes over them and they succumb to their fatigue.

The sound of the train reaching its destination wakes both Ethan and Ariana. On the overhead speaker the train announces, "We have reached Goldenrod City. Please make sure that you have all your personal belongings. We hoped that you enjoyed your ride and hope to service you again!"

The two get ready to leave the train until Ariana asks, "So where do you live exactly?" with a questioning eyebrow.

The young champion sheepishly laughs and realizes he didn't even tell her where they were supposed to go exactly. "Sorry, that was pretty rude of me. I live in Blackthorn City; I could've lived in New Bark Town but I decided that I needed a change of pace so I moved there and I haven't regretted it since."

She rolls her eyes. "So where is this restaurant you plan to take me to? I'm also wondering where I'm going to shower."

Ethan can't help but snicker at what she just said.

"Hey, what's so funny?!" she asks with impatience.

He sees her fuming and holds up his hands in a defensive stance signifying that he's sorry. "Sorry that just happened." he clears his throat to show his seriousness, "I'm taking you to my house so I can cook and treat you to a well-cooked dinner." she looks at him incredulously before he says, "Hey, I can cook; I learned from my mom and plenty of other women that I've met throughout my adventures. Besides, I can't just treat you to dinner and let you go back to that place you call "home" so I'm gonna cook you a nice homemade meal and you can also use my shower to freshen yourself up."

She looks at him again with her eyebrow raised to see if there's a hint of perverseness and he realizes what she's thinking.

He blushes as red as a tamato berry and tries to defend himself, "Um, uh, that's not what I mean- what I'm trying to say is- uh, I'm not really thinking that way just to let you know! I'm not some sort of deviant that would watch a woman taking shower or anything like that. I'm just- huh?"

The woman ends up laughing at his defending statements seeing that he's really serious about what he just said and tells him, "Don't worry, there's no way you would be lying if you're looking like you just got pinched the sun. Let's get out of here, we've been here in this station for quite some time."

Ethan sighs and agrees with what she just said. Boy, was this woman really making him become a whole different person. They reach outside and spot a billboard in an eclectic assortment of LED lights that just screams where they are: "Goldenrod City".

Ariana especially looks at the sign and sighs; it's been almost six years since she's stepped in this city. Her mind goes to a flashback of the aftermath of the Goldenrod incident.

***Flashback***

The four executives were fleeing the scene in a helicopter hoping they would not get sighted by any of the citizens.

"How did a 12-year old decimate our forces?!" screamed Archer.

"I don't know. All I know is that I saw some little punk at Slowpoke Well and he was interfering with our operations, he did beat us and I thought that was the last we've seen of him. " said Proton calmly.

"So what do you suppose we do now? Our plans are ruined and there's no sign of Giovanni coming back to help us get out of this damn mess!" screamed Ariana.

"You guys need to chill out. Why don't we just think of another plan and pull it off in another region or something like that." said Petrel.

The four executives were simply at an impasse on what to do. How do you explain to your boss (wherever he may be) that a 12-year old had just taken down three years of planning in one whole day?

Archer had looked at Petrel with an "Are you serious?" face, "How are we going to undo this fiasco that has possibly put us on the Interpol's most wanted list and where would we get the command from?! If memory serves me right, Giovanni is not with us at the moment so we could be pretty much sitting ducks out here!"

The other three executives looked at him with their eyes wide open, they had never seen Archer so infuriated before. They didn't know this side of him could ever come out seeing that he was the calmest out of the four.

Archer sighed and took some breaths before speaking, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gone crazy like that. That was just a brief venting that I had to do but in all seriousness guys, what are we going to do? We can't just go back to Goldenrod or Mahogony. Remember, they found our secret base there also. We could try going back to Kanto but it's also risky because most likely news has reached of our plans."

"Do you think we can find some way to contact Giovanni?" asked Ariana.

"I have no idea where he is. Remember, it's been over a year since we've last seen him and all he told us was just to plan this takeover so we can relay a message to him that the mission was successful. Also, there hasn't been much tracking of his movements since there are also numerous Rocket hideouts scattered throughout the Kanto and Johto regions."

"Maybe we should just hang it up then. Nobody knows when Giovanni will surface again and not even Interpol can find him."

"I really didn't want to do that though. We are a feared organization known throughout the area and we shouldn't let one mishap disrupt the mission."

Ariana pulls Archer to the side, "Archer, you know that we're a team and that we should be able to make the best decisions for ourselves. Remember back then when we were grunts? We've come a long way since that time. I care for you too much to see you be like dust in the wind and just disappear like that. Maybe this is a sign that we need to move on. What do you say?" Surprising to everyone, Ariana gives Archer a tender kiss to show how much he really means to her.

During the kiss, Archer's eyes had widened but they eventually closed as he and Ariana were putting their passion, warmth, and care for each other in this intimate gesture.

Archer had always found Ariana to be one of the most beautiful women he had ever met while being in Team Rocket. One thing though, they were teammates and he made sure to keep this one rule in his mind: work and pleasure do not mix well just like water and oil, so he made sure to keep his attraction in the back of his head to ensure there was no interference in his job.

After the kiss, they separated now knowing their true feelings for each other, Archer then looked in Ariana's eyes and told her, "Ariana, I care for you so much that I would rather sacrifice myself then to let you be taken away and your life be ruined. I want you to live the life that you want then to be ordered around and possibly do something that you could possibly regret later in the future,", he looked at Proton and Petrel and said, "The same goes for you guys also."

Ariana was trying to understand what he meant by his statement until what he said shocked them all, "I plan to give myself in to the authorities and take all the blame for what has transpired. I call it my last official duty to Team Rocket and to Giovanni. Gentlemen and my dear Ariana, live your life to the best that you possibly can and do what you feel is right in your heart. We've committed a lot of atrocities from stealing pokemon to destroying people but there's so much more that we've never allowed ourselves to do because of our association to Team Rocket. We were chosen to be leaders because of who we are and Team Rocket says that we have the power to do what we want because we can."

Tears start to form in Ariana's eyes and she tries to wipe them away but they come in full force. Archer sees this and goes over to her while embracing her in a hug and kisses her forehead trying to soothe her, "Ariana, it's ok. I've made this decision and I really want you to be safe from all this craziness surrounding us, ok?" He holds her chin up to look into her eyes again, "Promise me, ok?"

She looks up into his eyes and kisses him with much desire and says, "I promise I'll do that. I'm just gonna miss you so much. I'm also gonna miss you two clowns also."

Petrel chuckles and says, "Don't you worry about me, I got people to watch after me and I can put all this Rocket Business behind me and move on with my life. It's gonna take some time to adjust though."

Proton looks towards outside the helicopter with a smile then turns toward them before saying, "Yeah, it's about time we hang it up. It's too much work with all this scheming and all. Not saying I didn't enjoy it but it was fun while it lasted."

Everybody gets on Proton seeing that he can be the most reserved from them at times but they all appreciate him saying those words.

Everybody ceases their laughter before Archer says with a bittersweet smile, "Well, I guess that's it for us and the end of Team Rocket. We were able to become good comrades and we found out a bit more about each other from others," he looks towards Ariana's way and she immediately blushes before continuing, "it's been one amazing journey with you guys but now we can finally be free to do what we want."

Archer goes up to the pilot and tells him to lower the plane near a random meadow in Cerulean City so the other executives can get off the plane. "Guys, it's been fun." He looks towards the only female executive within the group, "Ariana..." She looks up at him with saddened eyes and says, "Yes, Archer?" He steps down real quick before giving her one more kiss and says those three words he never got to say, "I love you. Goodbye my dear and I hope that everything you dream of becomes reality."

The teal-haired executive gets back into the helicopter and wishes goodbye to his friends. "I hope we can see each other again one day you guys!" screams Archer.

"Just maybe if you ever get released from prison first." says Petrel.

Everybody laughs at Petrel's joke seeing that even though it's a goodbye, the mood should be lightened up to ensure that not everything is negative.

"Don't worry, we'll be ok and you can still count on us to be there for you when things get tough." Proton says with his hands behind his head.

Ariana looks at Archer and replies with the three words she just heard Archer say, "I love you too Archer! Thank you so much for this experience and I hope we do meet each other again one day. I hope that Arceus watches over you and you do your best also."

Archer smiles then goes towards the pilot to go to the Vermilion City police station. As the helicopter gets farther away from the former executives, Ariana breaks down and cries her eyes out seeing that her love is turning himself in just to save them from all suffering the same fate. Proton and Petrel comfort her by gathering her in a group hug saying that everything will be ok.

After Ariana's emotions get the better of her, they look at each other and smile seeing that it's the end. It's now time to say goodbye and pursue the next thing with their lives.

"Well guys, it's been fun," says Petrel with a sad smile on his face, "Had one hell of a fucking ride with y'all."

"As much as you did annoy me at times, you were one of the few people I had a decent relationship with." Proton says while looking at Petrel.

"Whoa man, don't end up trying to kiss me; I don't roll that way!" Petrel says chuckling.

Ariana looks at the two men's antics and chuckles at their silliness. She can't help but hug them tight one more time before they go their separate ways.

"I'm gonna miss you guys a lot. Make sure you don't do something I wouldn't. I wouldn't want to see you somewhere on TV or the newspapers."

The two males laugh at her statement before looking towards the sky and trying to wonder what the future holds for them.

They put their hands on top of each other and scream, "Team Rocket!"

They separate and Proton is the first one to leave while heading to Vermilion City's harbor to catch up with some friends, "Well, see ya guys."

Petrel is the next one to leave, "Time to do something else that can get me some money and I'm gonna catch up with some family in Lavender Town. They probably been wondering what the hell I've been up to all these years. See ya Ariana."

Ariana is the last one trying to figure out where she wants to go. Her family is worrying about her but she decides to put that off until an appropriate time. She's decided to look where the wind takes her and move from the chapter that is known as Team Rocket. Now is the time to look towards the future.

***End Flashback***

Ariana thought she would never be something like this, she sniffles a bit thinking about the past and a few tears leave her eyes which goes noticed by Ethan.

He looks at her with concern and wonders if she's alright, "Ariana, are you alright? If I did something, I'm really sorry."

She wipes her tears away and tells him, "Don't worry, it's not you. I'm just thinking about the past, that's all. Why would you be concerned about me though? We are enemies, you know."

Ethan smiles and corrects her, "**Were** enemies, now we're just two people trying to live our lives as much as possible."

"Well, that seems to be right. So how do we get to your house from here? I mean it's all the way in Blackthorn City."

"Don't worry about that. We'll just fly on one of my flying-type pokemon and get there in about a half an hour. My Togekiss can't support us both but I do have some pokemon stored in my pc that can help us so let's take a quick trip to the pokemon center."

The crimson-haired woman follows and they take walk to the pokemon center. They reach the entrance, go inside and spot the nearest pc not occupied by anybody.

"Ok, let me log in to my pc and let's look in my storage." Ariana looks at his pokemon and is amazed by how much pokemon he's caught (A/N: Unlike Ash, who believes that friendship should be valued first not acknowledging that legendaries could be a part of his squad but whatever. SMDH.) seeing that he's had a chance to explore the other regions that she hasn't had an opportunity to experience; she sees pokemon such as Electivire, Lucario, Gyrados, Salamance and even legendaries such as Lugia, Ho-oh, Darkrai and many more stored within.

'How was he able to catch these pokemon?' she questions with admiration and curiosity.

Ethan looks through and finds a pokemon to his liking while taking the pokeball with his Crobat and exchanging it with his Salamance. "Ok, I guess we're gonna be using my Salamance to get to Blackthorn. This is just my opinion but before we leave we should get your Murkrow healed up so it can be fine when she eats and that she doesn't have any major injuries that could do more harm than good. Would you like that?"

Ariana eyes widen at what he just said and asks, "You would do that for me and my Murkrow?"

"Sure, I don't like seeing any pokemon suffer whether it's mine or my enemy's. They are living beings also and the respect that we give to each other as human beings, we should also give to the pokemon because they're not only used for battling, they're also our friends and family also. I'm sure you care about your Murkrow also but you don't have the funds to help her out so let's take a chance to help her out now."

Ariana smiles and nods at Ethan's short speech, she looks at her pokeball and lets out her Murkrow before giving it to Ethan so he can pay for the medical treatment.

"Murkrow..." the pokemon responds with fatigue but possesses enough energy to look up at the person currently holding her. She notices it's not her trainer but somehow sees that Ethan possesses no immediate threat to her so she stays calm but she looks towards her trainer. Ariana responds, "Don't worry Murkrow, you're finally gonna get somebody to look at you and then we'll get you some food, ok?"

"Murkrow!" the pokemon responds with a lot of enthusiasm. It waves goodbye to its trainer and closes it's eyes while getting ready to be treated by the nurses.

Nurse Joy comes over and tells them, "It's going to be an hour before your Murkrow gets fully healed so please wait for a bit if you can and keep yourselves occupied with our resources that are available to our visitors."

"So what do we do for an hour?" asked Ethan.

"I don't know."

"Maybe we can watch TV or use the computer for a bit. Is there anything you suggest?"

"I really don't care at the moment. I just want my Murkrow to be better."

Ethan has a frown on his face as he hears her response. "Ok... Um, maybe we can go outside and just walk around the city for a bit and let time pass by. It may be late at night but there should be something to do. Hey, why don't we go to the game corner or play the Radio Tower lotto? We could pass time like that."

"You do remember that I tried to take over the tower back then, right? I don't want to risk being remembered or somebody noticing who I am."

"Well, it's been 11 years since then and believe it or not. Not that many people remember that incident since there were no casualties and the radio director was fine so don't stress it too much."

Ariana sighs at his optimism but is amused by his persistence, "All right but I'm counting on you to make sure that you're right about what you just said."

They started their night by doing the daily lottery raffle, went to the game corner to play some slots and cards where Ariana especially won a lot of coins, went to the national park to sit for a bit and enjoy the ambience of the night. Ariana hadn't had this much fun in years and was a bit sad that it was going to be temporary once Ethan was done doing what he said he was going to do.

Ethan looked down at his watch and realized that over an hour had went by already. "Oh boy, we should get back to the pokemon center and get your Murkrow since it's probably healed up by now."

"Yeah we should. Um, thanks for taking me out tonight. I'll admit it was pretty fun hanging out with you."

"No problem, I try my best to keep people happy. I may be a champion but I'm a person first and foremost before anything else." They leave the park to head back.

They both return to the pokemon center and head towards the receptionist's desk. They spot Nurse Joy and ring the bell to alert somebody is at the table.

Ethan tells her, "Excuse me, I left a Murkrow to be treated here a bit more than an hour ago and I would like to pick it up please."

"Oh yes, I remember you. Your Murkrow was in pretty horrible shape and it should get some rest when you get home. Oh Chansey, can you bring the Murkrow from room 5 please?" A Chansey comes out of the emergency room section with a Murkrow sitting on a stretcher looking much better than before it came there.

"Murkrow!" It squawks happily seeing that it has healed and it even flies to Arianna to show it's healthy.

Ariana tears up and hugs Murkrow seeing that it's finally healed, "Oh Murkrow, I'm so happy that you're all better! I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you. Thank goodness that you're ok!"

Nurse Joy and Ethan smile while looking at the reunion between pokemon and trainer. It's amazing how much of a bond a pokemon and trainer can have.

Ariana readies her pokeball for Murkrow to return and she's just so happy but wants Murkrow to still rest up for when she has to eat. "Murkrow return!" and the pokemon disappears into a red flash and is returned to its pokeball.

Ethan thanks Nurse Joy for her service and even bows to show his gratitude. Ariana even looks at her and says, "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me. She's my only friend that I have right now."

The nurse looks at them with a cheerful expression, "Don't worry, it's my job to care for any pokemon who needs treatment and you're welcome. Please, come back any time!"

Ethan looks at her and asks, "Ok, ready to go?"

Ariana simply nods and they are outside again.

Ethan pulls a pokeball out from his holster and screams, "All right, come on out Salamance!"

"Salamance!" it roars when it's released. It recognizes Ethan and immediately nuzzles him after being cooped up in the pc for so long.

"Oh come on. I missed you too but I need you to fly us to my house, ok?" He says while patting his head. Salamance nods and lowers his body down for them to approach his back.

Ariana and Ethan get into Salamance's back and the dragon pokemon gets ready for liftoff. Ethan tells her to hold tight and they eventually get off the ground while airborne. Salamance soars into the air and their flight to Blackthorn commences.

Ariana looks at the ground from the sky and is amazed by the view of all the towns, greenery and the night sky. She's been in a helicopter before but it seems like nothing now compared to this.

Ethan notices her enchantment and says, "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

She responds to his question and says, "Yeah, it really is. It must be breathtaking every time you do this. I've never done this before while I was on Team Rocket."

"Well, there's always a first time for everything," Ethan replies while looking in front.

As their flight continues, Ariana takes it all in and just loves the feeling of the nightly breeze going through her skin and hair.

"Oh, we've almost reached Blackthorn and we shouldn't be too far from my home; I believe you'll be impressed by my house."

During the flight, Ariana wonders about what happened to this point. Just a few hours ago, she was found in an alley by a former enemy and he even offered to help her in her time of need. How can anybody be so kind and forgiving?

As they finally approach Blackthorn City, she looks down at the city and spots the Dragon's Den and all the other buildings that cover the city.

"Oh, we're almost to my house so hold on tight," They approach a road with numerous houses and further uphill is Ethan's home.

Ariana's initial reaction to Ethan's home is one of amazement and she can't help but widen her eyes at the structure of the house: it's made of gravel with some wood for support, behind his house is a big backyard, a decent sized lake, a two car garage and many rooms for guests or even a family.

"Wow, this is your house?"

"Yep." Ethan replies with a smile.

"I can only dream of having something like this. I understand that you're champion and all but this is amazing! And I'm supposed to be staying here?"

"Of course you're gonna stay here. I'm not just gonna let you see my house and leave you alone. All right Salamance, let's land!" The pokemon lands and the two passengers slide down its back.

"All right Salamance, you can go to the back and rest there. I'll bring your food to the back for you, you deserve it after flying for so long."

"Salamance!" the pokemon roars and flies towards the back of the house where he rests while waiting for his anticipated meal.

Ethan looks towards Ariana with a smile and says, "Well, shall we go inside my dear lady? I'm sure you'll have a much better view from the inside and we need to get those clothes off you and into some fresh ones."

"Can I let my Murkrow come inside too?"

"Sure, the more the merrier! That reminds me,"

Ethan gets all his pokeballs from his holster and releases all his current pokemon so they can get some fresh air. A group of pokemon come out and they all gather around Ethan.

"Ok guys, I know it's been some time since you've guys got some air so I'm gonna let you guys go to the backyard and relax a bit. Ok?"

The pokemon cheer and head to the back and he realizes that his Kingdra needs water so he returns him temporarily.

Ariana takes out her pokeball and calls her Murkrow out, "All right! Come on out Murkrow!"

"Murkrow!" She lands on her trainer's shoulder and they start to walk inside the house.

Ethan takes out his keys to open the door and they enter the beautiful abode.

Both Ariana and Murkrow stare with astonishment at the atmosphere of the house. The house has a fireplace, is fully furnished and is so clean that its truly amazing how one person can clean their house so well.

"Judging by your reaction I can see you like the house."

Both of them absentmindedly nod while being entranced by the interior of the home.

"These are the details of my house: you've seen the back already, I have 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, kitchen, living room, dining room, a training room for me and my pokemon and a few rooms that I've no idea what to make of them yet but maybe one day I will."

"So where do I put my clothes? I'm eager to get into a bath and wash all of this filth off of me."

"Ok, the stairs are to your right. Once you get to the top, make a right and go until you see a door that reads "guest bathroom" on your left, you and your Murkrow can wash up there if you want to right now or do you want to eat first?"

"I think it's best I take a shower first," Ariana finally takes off the cloak that she's been wearing ever since their meeting and Ethan just can't help but look at her: flowing crimson hair, a voluptuous body, and her eyes are the darkest crimson he's ever seen. Ethan can't help but blush at the woman but hides it to make sure that she doesn't catch him.

"Do you have somewhere I can put my clothes?" Ariana asks knocking Ethan out of his gaze.

"What, you still want to keep those clothes? I'll buy you some new ones if you want. These look like they've been through wars. Allow me to buy you clothes if you please."

Ariana looks at him with a smile and shrugs, "Ok, you can buy me some clothes but good ones too. I can't even begin to tell you when was the last time I got some clothes that wasn't thrown away or picked up at the thrift store." She then walks up the stairs and gives a glare while telling him, "You had better not look at me while I'm taking my shower or I'm gonna gouge your eyes out! Got it?"

"I'm a gentleman milady and I don't commit cruel acts of sexual deviancy." Ethan says with a British accent then laughs at what he just said.

Ariana then rolls her eyes at his comment and proceeds to the bathroom. As she and her Murkrow step inside she is amazed at how huge the guest bathroom and all that was found within it; there were many towels stacked up neatly near the sink on a wooden shelf, many soaps, body washes and sprays, toothbrushes and sponges in case any guests wanted to keep them, a bath/shower and a big body-sized mirror that stuck out.

"Wow, this is pretty big. I guess this kid's been living the good life for quite some time. I wonder how he takes care of this place seeing as it's just him living here. Oh well, time to start bathing. Ready Murkrow?"

"Krow!" the pokemon says with enthusiasm.

As Ariana takes her clothes off, she observes her body and sees some blotches of dirt upon her and is thankful her body hasn't changed much over the years, she know she still has an attractive body that men would swoon over but it's not like she would just put her body out there for attention. She does still have dignity for herself then to let anybody be with her just for her looks. As she steps in with Murkrow ready to wash herself, she lets rivulets of water soak her body while relaxing and thinking about what food Ethan plans to prepare for her.

"I wonder what he's gonna cook anyway?"

**Meanwhile, with Ethan...**

As Ethan gets the ingredients for their dinner ready even though it's so late, he wonders about the inhabitants in the guest bathroom. "I hope they're doing ok there."

Ethan is further contemplating on what to eat, 'So what are we gonna eat tonight? Maybe we should eat some stir-fried noodles with Tauros beef and some vegetables with a dessert on the side. I think she would appreciate that.'

He remembers that his pokemon is in the backyard resting and they're probably hungry so he brings out a whole bunch of prepared food for them as he takes them outside holding individual bowls for each of them, he also leaves one alone for Ariana's Murkrow seeing that she must be hungrier than all of his pokemon combined.

"Ok guys, ready to eat?"

The pokemon cheer and are ready to stuff their faces seeing as it's been many hours since they had their last meal, especially Typhlosion seeing as he's been walking with Ethan for a long time. He brings a bowl over to Kingdra as he prefers to eat while in water. Ethan's real thankful that Brock and Erika were able to teach him how to make food for pokemon seeing that they're living creatures also so they have necessities.

He heads back inside seeing that his pokemon are happy with their meal. Now it's time for him to get his and Ariana's meal ready before the latter finishes her shower. He looks in his fridge and freezer for the ingredients needed to cook the food and cleans his kitchen for sanitary purposes and preparation.

It's actually very impressive to see Ethan cooking because when he was younger, he couldn't cook for his life and had to depend on buying food or getting his mom to deliver food by Pelipper because he missed the home cooked meals that she always made or he would fly back to New Bark Town just to get something to eat from time to time.

"Ok, got the Tauros meat, noodles, vegetables, and spices. Time to boil the water and get the wok for the meat," As he slices the various vegetables for the frying with the meat, he gets the pot and fill it with water readying the preparations of the noodles.

"I hope she likes the food. I think I'm a pretty damn good cook if I say so myself."

**Back with Ariana**

After spending a good 25 minutes in the bathroom, (majority of the time soaking herself in the warm water) she got both herself and Murkrow towels to clean themselves off. After checking herself in the mirror and brushing her teeth, she decided to leave the bathroom.

As soon as she stepped out, she got a hint of what smelled like meat and vegetables being prepared with a variety of spices.

"Wow, whatever he's cooking smells really good. I guess he wasn't kidding when he said he knows how to cook. But I do need some clothes, I'm not eating in a towel."

Ariana walks towards the end of the corridor and hopes to spot him which she does before stopping not wanting him to see her in a towel.

"Hey, I'm done with my shower. Do you have any spare clothes I can wear for the time being?"

Ethan hears her question and tells her, "Um, you can go to my bedroom and get a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt to wear. My bedroom is on the left side of the house so just walk to your left and the door straight ahead is where you wanna be. I'm almost done with the food so you should hurry up and get dressed."

She does as instructed and goes to his bedroom and is in awe at the size of his room. She goes to the drawer and finds a red t-shirt and some gray sweats for her to wear. As she's done with her changing, she goes downstairs and sees that two plates are ready with food and it looks real good.

Ethan sees that she's changed and is ready to serve his dish.

"Ok, ready to eat? I cooked some noodle stir-fry with Tauros meat and vegetables. I also have some chocolate mousse cake just in case you're in the mood for dessert."

Ariana and Murkrow look in awe at the dish. Murkrow wishes she was human because it looks so good and she just wants to eat so badly. Ethan notices this and chuckles.

"Oh yeah, I saved a bowl of food for your Murkrow just in case she was hungry. It's one of the finest blends of pokemon food out there and I hope she enjoys it."

"You hungry girl? Ariana asks her friend.

"Murkrow, murk!" The pokemon responds with a lot of excitement seeing that she's about to eat a meal instead of leftovers found in the streets.

"Let me put this aside for Murkrow then you and I can eat."

As Ethan puts Murkrow's dish next to the dining table, he gets both his and Ariana's plates so that they can start eating. As they both start eating, Ariana has such an amazed expression that she starts tearing up a bit but wipes it away not wanting to be so emotional for such a meal.

Ethan catches this with a smile and asks her, "Are you ok? Is the food good?"

Ariana nods vigorously at his questions and she stills maintain that air of womanly dignity while eating the food set before her. What did she do for somebody to treat her like this, even she doesn't know. All she knows is that she's grateful for somebody to show this much compassion for a stranger.

Ethan eats his food and is definitely impressed, he is the one that cooked it in the first place. Seeing Ariana take joy in his cooking brings some pride as he sees the former Rocket executive enjoying her food.

He sees Murkrow and asks the pokemon how the food tastes, "Hey

Murkrow, so what do you think of the food?"

"Murkrow, murkrow!" the pokemon responds with happiness.

"Nice to see that you do, I kind of take proof in the food that I cook. It's also nice to see that you enjoy my food too Ariana."

"It seems you weren't kidding when you said you know how to cook. I'm surprised you haven't opened a restaurant yet. You could make a lot of money just by selling this to customers."

"Well, I still have a job as an Elite Four member so that can be a bit of a challenge but it's time to get to the bottom of this. Why were you in that alley? I understand that you might not want to talk about it but it would be nice if you could open yourself and just tell me how all this happened if you please."

Ariana stops eating and then lets out a prolonged sigh. "I was there because it was my home and I had nowhere else to go. Why do you care to know?"

Ethan now has a serious face, "I want to find out because nobody should be living like that and because it can be dangerous like that for a woman to just live like that with no proper care."

"Why are you doing this? Can't I just take your hospitality for this one night and be on my way?" she asks with a bit of irritation in her voice.

"Because even though we were enemies in the past, I just feel that I need to help you as much as possible. So as I said before, can you tell me what you've been doing for these past 11 years?"

"You think I need your pity?! You think just because you gave me food and a place to clean myself I need to answer to you?! I don't think so," she then starts crying and this catches Ethan off guard, "You have no *sniffles* idea what I've been through *sniffles* and I don't want to been seen as any more weak to anybody else. So please, can't you just leave it alone?"

Murkrow wonders why her trainer is crying but continues to eat her food because she somehow knows that Ethan can help comfort her.

Ethan's heart saddens and he does the unexpected, he gets up from his side of the dining table and pulls her up and hugs her, this time catching her off guard.

"What are you doing?" asks Ariana.

"I'm sorry if that's how I made you feel. That's now what I'm trying to do, not at all. I just wanted to know what your life has been like all this time and I genuinely wanted to help you because such a beautiful woman doesn't deserve to be living like that. So I'm asking with as much sincerity from the bottom of my heart. Can you please tell me what happened to you?"

Ariana is surprised at his statement and then wipes her tears away as she calms down, "You really want to help me and learn my story?"

Ethan with a small grin replies, "Yes I do."

It's been a temporary burst of emotions but they eventually do sit down and talk about Ariana's life ever since she left Team Rocket.

Taking a big breath and calming herself down from her previous crying she begins to speak. She tells him of what happened after the Goldenrod incident and then her individual story.

"Well, after me and the others split up, I decided to look for a job that was legal and where many others didn't recognize me from Team Rocket or anything associated with them. Trust me, that wasn't easy seeing as we had committed a lot of acts of tyranny against the people."

"Did somebody accept you and give you a job?"

"Yeah they did and it all went so well. I worked in a pokemon merchant shop in Celadon City and the owner treated me real well, it's like he and his wife didn't even care about my past but decided to just trust me with their shop. I met numerous people and they all treated me with kindness and respect and I enjoyed it so much that I eventually forgot about my association with Team Rocket but then... some things happened." She looked down with a solemn look on her face.

"What happened?"

"The owner had gotten sick and he felt like his time was coming to an end so his wife had put a lot of time into his care and the shop was left up to me and a few other people but it just wasn't the same without the owner. Eventually, business declined and we had to close up the shop. I helped take care of the owner to repay for the housing he gave me and in his final years left, he told me that I should be happy and not let the past determine who I am as a person and then he passed away. I cried so much that I didn't know what to do and just ran away from there never to come back or to tell anybody where I was."

"Why didn't you just go to your family? I'm sure they would've taken you in if you just explained what you were doing this whole time. I'm sure they wouldn't have judged you any less."

"There's no way I could've done that. I can't just tell them, 'Oh, I used to be part of Team Rocket but can you take care of me?' They'd be a bit awkward hearing something like that so I stayed on the streets and encountered some misfortunes. Authorities even took my Houndoom, Arbok and Vileplume away seeing that I couldn't take care of them but they let me keep my Murkrow since I needed a pokemon to be safe out here. That's why I care for her so much and would be devastated if anything ever happened to her."

Ethan is a bit melancholy hearing her story seeing that she's been through a lot without anybody really close to share her experiences with. What he sees right now isn't a former Rocket member but just a woman who wants some help to get back on her feet and to live her life. Why is it so easy for him to look past her previous deeds, even he doesn't know but he one thing he does know, he wants to help her even if it's as little as possible. He feels that he needs to do that much for the woman here at his house.

"Hey, how about you stay here? I can help you if you want but don't look at it as pity but instead view it as somebody who cares enough to help you. I really don't want you to go back to that place in Saffron, I've heard of a lot of crazy people walking around there harassing people and I don't want you to be one of those that're being harassed. So how about it, do you want to stay? It would give me some company since I'm alone in this house and it can get pretty damn lonely at times if I say so myself."

The crimson-haired woman widened her eyes in shock at what he just said, "So you're pretty much asking me out of the blue to move in here with you. Are you sure you want a former Team Rocket member living here with you, I could be bringing unneeded trouble."

Ethan sighed at her statement, "As I said before, you're a former Team Rocket member and yeah I'm sure I want you to live with me. I'm not gonna let you go back there by Arceus' will."

The woman was at an impasse, it was either go back to the streets and scrounge for food like a Rattata or stay here with her former enemy who was pretty much begging her to stay so he can help her. She yawned after being through so much in one night and it was pretty late so she stretched out her arms indicating she was tired.

"I'll think about it but as of right now, I'm pretty tired and I want to sleep. Do I sleep on the couch or something?" She was really hoping that she could go to sleep right now.

Ethan looked at her with confusion before replying, "No way, you can sleep in the guest bedroom. It would be pretty rude of me to let you sleep here instead of on a bed. Besides, you're a lady and my mom always said to treat a woman with the utmost respect."

"Huh, well don't we got ourselves a gentleman at the moment. Lead the way Mr. Chivalry. Come on Murkrow, let's go to sleep."

The pokemon follows her trainer and Ethan to the room for them to rest and as soon as they reach it, they see a queen sized bed with a closet, mirror, drawer and a TV across from the bed. It seems that Ariana was going to get a good sleep tonight which seemed like forever since the last time she had a comfortable sleep. As soon as she saw the bed, she immediately collapsed and felt like she was resting on a cloud.

"If you need anything, just come to my room and knock. I'll be sure to help any way I can. Well, good night and sweet dreams." Ethan got ready to leave the room before she said...

"Wait!"

He stopped his movement, "Is there something you need?"

"Yeah, your name. It seems I forgot it on the way here."

"My name's Ethan and be sure to call me that every time you need something." Ethan smiled and then proceeded with his leaving out the bedroom.

Ariana smiled at the man, he really was something else. As she laid down on the bed, she recollected all of the events that led up to this moment. As her eyes got heavy with drowsiness, she only had one thought on her mind, 'Thank you... Ethan.' The woman had immediately gone to sleep and was anticipating the next day in her dreams.

As Ethan tidied up the kitchen, washed the dishes and returned his pokemon, he thought about Ariana. He was in an enchanted state, 'She looks so much better after that bath, she smelled really good too, she also has nice hair and decent-sized breas- Ahh, Ethan, stop man! She just got through some terrible times and you're already fantasizing about her! *Sighs*, I'm just gonna go to sleep and make sure she's ok by the morning.' He calmed himself down thinking of other thoughts that didn't involve the crimson-haired woman and fell asleep.

By the time morning came, Ethan was already up cooking breakfast for the both of them and their pokemon. It seems that she hadn't given him a solid answer to his question so he was hoping she would give him one today. Besides, how bad can it be living with the champion of the Indigo League?

Ariana had woken up due to the shimmers of sunlight peeking through the windowpane and she only had one thought to herself, 'That was one of the best sleeps I've ever had," She stretched her lithe body while looking at her sleeping pokemon and ruffled its head happy that she looked like she had a good sleep also.

"So this is how it feels to be treated like a person. If only I could be treated like this every day then I would be happy all the time." She looked in a mirror and noticed this was the healthiest she had been in years with her glowing skin, her smooth and long hair and her body was void of any dirt due to her shower.

Seeing as it was the morning, she brushed her teeth and hair, washed herself and even put some lotion on herself. She was actually very lucky to see some feminine products and was thankful for that.

"Time to head downstairs and breathe in the morning air, maybe that kid is asleep and I can possibly make some brea-" She halted her sentence when she saw Ethan in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

The champion responded with a smile once he saw her, "Good Morning and did you have a good sleep?"

"Um yeah, I did. I didn't think you'd be up so early in the morning and making breakfast. What time is it anyways?"

"It's just a bit after 9:30. I can tell you're hungry after waking up so grab a plate and sit down for a bit, relax yourself. I have eggs, bacon, some sausages and pancakes. I also got orange juice and coffee just in case you need a kick."

Ariana had taken the man's advice and grabbed herself a plate of breakfast while sitting down on the couch in the living room, it wasn't long until Ethan had joined her and they had watched some TV for almost two hours before it was time for Ethan to go but there was that question he asked Ariana and he decided that his day could wait while figuring everything out with the female guest.

"So have you decided an answer to my question from last night? I really hope you give me an answer now."

The woman looks to the side and sighs. "Listen, I know you're being nice and all but you don't really have to do that for me. I'm really grateful for what you did for me but I feel like I would be a burden to you if I was to live with you. I'm a former Team Rocket member and that would just be unneeded attention for you. Are you still prepared for me to live with you even though I'll just be a possible burden?"

"Yeah, I'm prepared for that," Ethan takes one of her hands into both of his before he says his peace and hopefully convinces her to stay with him.

"Listen, I don't want you to feel like you're a burden at all because in all honesty you're really not. I like taking care of people and you're one of the people that I would like to take care of the most. I understand that because of what you went through, you'll be a bit reclusive to compassion and kindness but not everybody's like that in the world. There are people that want to help you and make sure you're safe. I just want you to stay here so that you can have a place that you call your home and have a lot of security. You're different from many women because they see me as a champion and forget I'm just a regular person underneath all the accolades and accomplishments and that I just want to be treated equal like everyone else. Ariana, I want to help you because I know there's more to you than what the eye sees and I want to bring it out so you can reach your full potential. So as I ask you this question one more time and it's the last time I will, will you live here with me?"

Ariana's eyes widened and she just couldn't believe it, he was prepared for all the media scrutiny and judgment from others all because he wanted to take care of her and find somebody to care for. It was truly amazing for such a being to say that and she was even wondering 'Did he truly just say that?' She had never gotten this kindness from somebody in her life and had no idea how to react. Maybe he was right, maybe there were some people out there who wanted to take care of her. It amazed her that this boy in less than one day was able to change her perception of the world which was full of darkness but was now illuminated by this man and his entire being. The world truly does work in amazing and strange ways, doesn't it?

Ariana was now crying again, this was becoming a bit of a habit that she hoped to get rid of but it just wasn't easy for her to let go of. She hugged Ethan so tight that she thought he was going to leave her alone again if she let go and that's what she didn't want. So much vulnerability, pain and turmoil in her life gave her this view of the world and now that somebody was there to help her, it changed her entirely.

"Yes, I'll stay! I don't want to be left alone again! I've been through so much these 11 years and I just want to be treated with kindness again by somebody. I want to live here and have a better life that I know I won't be ashamed of. I want to reach my full potential because I know there's more than life than what I've seen. I'll stay, I'll stay, I'll stay!" She kept hugging onto Ethan and he also hugged her back showing that he wasn't going to leave her alone.

"Shh, it's ok. I'm not going anywhere Ariana. I'll be right here when you need me. Don't look at the past but look towards the future and envision the life that you want to have. I'll do my best to support you so wipe your tears and let's relax for a bit, ok?"

With a simple nod, they stayed on the couch still in their hug before she was alright and her emotions had calmed down.

"Listen, I want you to stay here for the day so that I can get some stuff out of the way such as you living here and I also have a duty as an Elite Four member so keep yourself and Murkrow occupied for a while so that you can get the feel of the house for a bit. Is that ok? We have food if you're hungry, TV and even a library for books and magazines and all that other stuff so you should be pretty occupied. "

Ariana nodded and kept herself on the couch while Ethan got ready to leave. She was amazed at what just happened between the both of them and it was one of the best feelings in the world. There was somebody actually there for her and was not going to abandon her.

As Ethan was getting ready to leave, he saw Ariana looking at the outside of his house then look towards him before she walked up to him.

"Close your eyes for a quick second."

The man did exactly as she said and was wondering why she told him to close his eyes until he felt a pair of warm, soft lips on the side of his cheek and he immediately opened his eyes while a blush appeared on his face.

"Uh, wow. Thanks for that, I honestly didn't expect that of all things and just- wow." It seems that this gesture really caught him off guard and he couldn't form much coherent sentences after that and put his hand on his cheek.

Ariana laughs at his reaction, "You wasn't supposed to open your eyes. That's my thanks for letting me live with you and for taking care of me and my Murkrow. Well, don't you have a job to do today Mr. Champion? Don't worry, your house will be ok and we'll be just fine. So go on and get outta here."

"Yeah, you're right. I'll be back later and I'll bring you some clothes and food so you can feel right at home. Bye Ariana, I'll see you later." Ethan calls out his Salamance and is en route to the Indigo Plateau. It seems everything was going to be ok.

"Bye Ethan, I'll see you later!"

As Ariana goes back inside the house and gets Murkrow to snuggle with her, she watches TV and rests on the couch noticing that it's really soft and enjoys her time at the house while beaming with optimism and hope. She's just so happy that she's finally gotten some kind of control of her life once and for all.

The day quickly goes by, Ariana has done all that she can in the house: cleaning the house, reading books, watching TV and pretty much anything that she can possibly think of doing. Alas, she finds herself a bit too comfortable and she wants to do something that can allow her to travel a bit and interact with people and pokemon.

'I should be able to find something to do. I would like to find a job that will definitely make me happy and also allow me to contribute to the household. I appreciate that he wants to take care of me but I need something to do. I'll talk to him about it when he gets back.'

It's near 10 in the night when Ethan finally comes back to the house and he's already exhausted from the constant challengers that he met during the day. Trying to spot Ariana, he doesn't see her hoping that she didn't actually leave. He goes to the guest bedroom and sees her sitting on the edge of the bed so he knocks on the door seeking permission to come in which then gets her attention.

"Oh, you finally came back. You look exhausted."

With a tired smile he tries his best to keep himself standing up, "Yeah, ya know how it is with all these trainers trying to be the next champion and all. I have some bags downstairs with some clothes for you, they're just basic stuff such as jeans, shirts and regular stuff. I got some pizza for us to eat since I don't feel like cooking tonight. How about you join me?"

Ariana laughs, "I'll be glad to. Also, I want to talk to you about something and I hope you'll be ok with it."

"Sure, let's go downstairs and relax in the living room." The both of them head downstairs and sit on the couch discussing how they spent their day. Ariana decides it's time to tell Ethan what's been on her mind during the day.

"Ethan, I want to say some things and it's nothing really terrible but I feel it's time to get it off my chest," With a sigh she prepares herself for what she says while Ethan looks at her, "I want to get a job where I can care for others like you've cared for me so I want to be a pokemon caretaker and help others care for pokemon too so is it possible for me to find a job like that?"

"I'm sure it's possible because if that's what you want to do then go for it. I'm sure you'll be a good caretaker and the pokemon will love you for who you are and you seem pretty nice already as it is. If that's what you really want then I'll call some places in the morning to see if they can be willing to help you."

"Really? You'll really try helping me?"

"Sure, it's not too much of a problem since I'm the hero of Johto and I'm sure I should be able to find somebody out there who can help you out."

"Thank you Ethan, you have no idea how much this means to me. I'll try to repay you back for all that you're doing for me."

"As I said, it's no problem and you don't need to pay me back. Anyways, let's just relax and enjoy ourselves while the TV is on."

Snuggling with Ethan, Ariana is happy and continues watching TV while eating the pizza. As the late night dawns upon them, the crimson-haired woman falls asleep and Ethan finds it a bit adorable when she's lightly snoring. Of course being the gentleman that he is, he helps carry her in a bridal style to the guest bedroom where he sees Murkrow also exhausted. As he lies down on the bed, he notices how gorgeous she is and can't help but touch her cheek while she's asleep. He says good night to her and leaves the room without interrupting her sleep. He's gonna try to get somebody to help her seeing that she's determined to do something. It's probably her way of making up for all the terror she caused in Team Rocket. He then leaves the bedroom and goes to sleep himself.

Half a year has gone by ever since the events that took place that day and it's nothing short of amazing. A lot of change has taken place at Gold and Ariana's house which also helps bring their relationship to a point where they watch out and care for each other.

Ariana is now a pokemon daycare assistant and helps numerous daycares throughout the regions when it comes to assisting pokemon. She had recently been to the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions which she had never been to before so she can learn about the care of pokemon from senior caretakers which were experienced within the field. The site of traveling in an airplane to those regions had fascinated her. While there, she had learned of pokemon she had never seen before and had even caught herself a few seeing that some pokemon were good company for Murkrow. Her primary workstation was at the Goldenrod daycare and she had started to become good friends with the owners and the pokemon she was left to help to take care of. Many pokemon were so engulfed by her kindness that some of them were always following her and even playing games with her. It was truly amazing for such an experience to happen to her and she never wanted to let it go.

Ethan was happy that their relationship took a turn for the best and was so happy that he had finally found somebody to live with in this big house. Seeing that she was a woman, he had helped buy feminine products for hygiene and even helped decorate the guest bedroom which eventually turned into her own personal bedroom. Clothes were definitely a thing he had to buy for her seeing that she was in a professional environment but she really didn't have to wear such things seeing that it was a daycare but he did buy her them just for reassurance. He even taught her how to cook a bit and take care of pokemon injuries and ailments. It seems they were truly happy being in each other's company and they would always comfort each other whenever one or the other was feeling down.

As they both returned from their home from their respected jobs, they hugged each other as much as possible seeing that they did miss each other. They had no idea when they were able to get this close but they definitely had no regrets doing it seeing it as they got closer day by day.

It was time for them to eat and they ended up discussing their days and how their jobs went. When it was time to eat, they both cooked seeing that it was a learning experience for both of them and that they were able to bond because of the closeness that they gave each other.

"So what do you want to eat tonight?" asks Ariana.

"Hmm... I'm thinking of eating some seafood paella with some sausages with some mac and cheese on the side. I'm also thinking of having some apple pie for dessert. Is that alright with you?"

"Sure, I love cooking with you and it's a way to show of our bond with each other. Besides, I might let you eat something else if you're a good boy tonight..." Her words come off as suggestive which Ethan definitely has no problem with.

All of a sudden he turns her around with his arms around her curvaceous waist, he says, "If I'm hearing right, I think you may be flirting with me Ariana."

"And what if I am?" She replies with a smirk.

"We can eat later if you want and we can do something else right now." He holds her tighter while putting his head in her hair inhaling the scent.

She can't help but laugh at his own seduction methods, "As much as I would like to do that, I'm really hungry right now so that will have to be put on hold. Let's see where the night takes us first."

As they're done cooking the food, they walk over to the living room getting comfy with Ariana snuggling up with Ethan while eating and watching TV. After being done with the food, they return back to the couch and discuss the good and bad of their jobs. It seems that the comfortable contact between is inevitable as they stare into each other's eyes and start blushing before Ethan presses his lips to the beautiful woman next to him.

Ariana's eyes widen at his intimate gesture and is too shocked to kiss him back. Ethan moves back from the connection of lips thinking she doesn't like it and wants to apologize for what he did.

"I'm really sorry about that and it was wrong of me-"

He is immediately silenced as Ariana wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him back with the same passion that he had just given her. Ethan's arms by instinct pulls her to him and he immediately wraps his arms around her slender waist as they proceed with their make-out session on the couch.

Seeing that he's the male, Ethan pushes her to the couch still kissing her while they his hands feel all over her. As they part the liplock panting and lust seen in their eyes, Ariana rubs her right hand on his cheek while Ethan caresses her torso.

It seems that their attraction with each other is inevitable and they want to proceed to the next step. It's a bit crazy to them that their relationship has come to this point but they decide that this is what they truly want.

"You don't need to apologize Ethan. I won't lie, I was caught off guard by that kiss but I enjoyed it because it was you that did it. We don't need to hide our emotions anymore but are you ok doing this with me?" Ariana asks with some reluctance and insecurity in her voice while still holding him.

"Huh? Why would you say that?"

"Because I'm older than you and you can always find a younger girl to-"

This time, it's his turn to stop her as he places a kiss on her and she immediately moans while he does this. Ethan didn't want her to think that he had no attraction to her just because of her age and that just wasn't true when it came to her. He broke the kiss and assured her that was not the case.

"Ariana, that's not true. I could care less about age. All I know is that I love you a lot and I want to do this with you. You being older has nothing to do with what is about to happen. Right now, there's nobody I would rather spend this night with then the beautiful crimson-haired goddess below me. You don't have to worry about anything; I would never do something as superficial as that." He brings her up to a hug and places a kiss on her forehead.

Hearing his words, she cries while hugging him thankful that her age has nothing to do with his decision. 'He really doesn't care about age! All he cares about is me and making me happy and safe. I'm so thankful I have this wonderful man to care for me.' Ariana then wipes her tears away and kisses Ethan with all the passion she could muster.

"Thank you Ethan. You have no idea how that makes me feel to hear you say that. I was pretty nervous you was just going to leave me alone but I have no worries now due to what you just said. Thank you."

Immediately, they kiss again and Ariana's body is pushed down once again by the man she confessed to. It seems that they just can't stop kissing each other but they feel it's time for them to truly become one.

"Do you wanna do it here? I will say though, I don't know if the pokemon or any guests would like to know that we did it on the couch. It would be a bit awkward to explain how a certain stain got there."

She chuckles at him for his statement and whispers just enough for him to hear her, "As much as I would like that, I think the bedroom would be a more appropriate place for us, wouldn't you say?" He understands and simply replies with a nod. "Besides, I want our first time for us to be truly connected and no possible interruptions to take place." She then traces a finger down his chest while he still holds her down on the couch.

"Alright, the bedroom it is. I love you so much Ariana, you don't even know how much." He immediately nuzzles in her neck after saying that.

"Then you can show me how much you love me tonight. Can you carry your goddess to the bedroom please?" With her arms around his neck, he immediately complies with her request and carries her bridal style to his bedroom.

It's quite challenging at first seeing as she's constantly lacing his neck with kisses. The act of her doing this slowly rushes blood to his member and finds it hard at first but he eventually makes it up the stairs and to his bedroom closing it.

Placing her on the bed, he's able to look at her entire being and he just drinks the sight of her all in. With her hair spread out, she looks amazing and her just laying down like that makes him want to ravage her but he wants to treat her like the goddess she is.

"Well, don't just look. Come and satisfy me my love." Ariana says with the most seductive voice.

Her words attracts him to the bed like a magnet and as he lays upon her, caressing her cheek with one hand while massaging one of her breasts with the other. She moans quite loudly and her body feels so limp due to all the pleasure that he's currently giving her. As he moans her breast, he kisses her and she moans even louder while the kiss sends electrical tremors up her spine.

Even with all the sensations surging through her, her arms eventually regain some life and she wraps them around him before moving down to his shirt ripping the buttons off and admiring his well-toned chest, his abs and defined arms. The years have been pretty kind to Ethan with him gaining all the muscle due to his workouts with his pokemon, he's definitely not the kid from 11 years ago. Ariana can't help but comment on his physique.

"Wow, I never thought underneath that shirt would I ever see this. I like it."

"Yeah, I did a lot of physical stuff while visiting other regions and I have to give much credit to Bruno."

As they return to their coital activities, Ethan takes off Ariana's blouse slowly teasing her but it does come undone. What he sees are two breasts barricaded by a red and black lace bra and the perspiration starts to kick in with all the physical activity that's occurring between them. He kisses the top of her breasts and a whimper leaves her mouth.

Seeing that he wants more, he moves his hands to the back of her bra asking with his eyes for permission to unstrap the feminine garment. Her reply is a simple nod and kiss and he unstraps the harness holding her globes of flesh back. What he sees is simply described as one word: amazing.

With the woman now topless, he slowly kisses her neck, then her collarbone and moves his lips to the valley of her breasts. All of a sudden, he takes one of her rose-colored nipples in his mouth and she lets out a moan at vocal levels she doesn't even know she's capable of.

Ariana's body starts to feel more warm than it was before and little droplets of sweat form a sheen on her body from the amount of pleasure she's feeling. All of a sudden he stops and looks at her current being; he's never seen someone so beautiful the way she looks right now and it gives him a swell of pride to know that he's making her feel this way.

Missing the feeling on her breasts, she pushes Ethan's head towards her plump bosom indicating that she doesn't want him to stop and compels him to keep going, "Ethan, don't stop. Your mouth is so warm and it feels so good so please don't stop." As he obeys her command, he then proceeds to keep doing what he was doing earlier and reclaims her breast with his mouth.

Warmth, that's all Ariana can feel now at the moment. The man she's in love with is satisfying her needs but it doesn't even stop there. What happened next caught her off guard as Ethan grabbed the vacant breast and started massaging it with one of his hands. This was crazy to her, her body felt like she had turned into a Moltres for the time being and almost couldn't bear it. Both of her breasts had put her on the verge of making her internal coil snap but she held it in.

As Ethan was doing both her breasts, she let out moans that were fluctuating in volume and her breathing was getting more heavier as the act continued. One breast massaged while the other one was getting licked, it felt unbelievable to her because she had never felt like this before with any other men. The sensation was truly spectacular.

As he rose up from his treatment of Ariana's breasts, he got up to take a good look at her form. He was truly amazed at her body's current look: she was breathing hard, whimpers had left her mouth and her speech was beginning to sound a bit incoherent. She was radiating sexiness and they hadn't even got to the good part yet.

He pulled her up while stroking her hair making sure he didn't overwhelm her too much.

"Hey sweetheart, you ok?"

After coming back down from what felt like an Altaria's cloud, she had regained her breathing and was able to speak up but fell back down to the bed seeing that the tremors were still coursing through her body.

"Wow, that felt... amazing. How many girls have you done this with?"

"I've only had sex with one girl in my whole life, believe it or not."

"Are you serious?" Wow, that came off as a shocker to her. How can one man be so experienced with the workings of the female body when he's only had one partner? It seems that Ethan showed that he was just as experienced with intimacy just as much as he was with pokemon.

"Yeah, I don't really do it as much as I should and I broke up with her some years back. You remember Lyra, right?" She nods her head as a response.

"It was actually her who I lost my virginity to and the feeling was mutual for her too. We went separate ways but we still talk to each other every now and then. She's a real good friend. It was actually her who helped me do this because she told me not to let you go and cherish you. Hehe, it seems we gotta thank her for this or this wouldn't have been possible."

Ariana then pulls herself up and kisses Ethan which surprises him. She then traces her finger across the broad expanse of his chest. Now tenderly nibbling on his ear, her mouth travels down his neck, then to his pecs and also his abs.

Letting out grunts of lust, Ethan's mind starts to become all hazy seeing the older woman take control, it's actually a turn on to him to see that she can take charge too. He tries to bring his arm around her neck but she immediately stops him.

"Uh-uh, now it's my turn to make you feel good and I don't want you to stop me. Let me do this for you." she says with much lust laced in her voice, Ethan decides to just let her do whatever she wants.

As she continues kissing him, she blushes and her elbow brushes against the reproductive organ being contained within the pants of her lover. Brimming with confidence, she puts her hands to the zipper and pulls it down exposing the black boxers in plain sight.

'Wow, he's really packing down there.' As she goes back to kissing his torso, she rubs her hand over the fabric teasing him making him go crazy with her movements. Why couldn't she just pull it down already?

Seeing that he's enduring so much, she decides to make him feel even better. After what felt like torture to him, she puts her hands at the elastic rim of his boxers and pulls it all the way down exposing his "little friend". Seeing that he's already hard, she wraps her hands around his organ, now massaging it up and down making a bit of precum appear at the tip.

Why does she have to put him through this torture is what he's wondering but he does still endure. He looks down to her and sees that a sly smirk appears at her face, probably due to her personality that she formed while being with Team Rocket. As her hands feel like they've been dipped in lava, the warmth emanates from her as he's trying his best to hold back from releasing and that she can also stop teasing him. Why did the penis have to be so sensitive?

Sensing that he's about to cum, she stops her movement which immediately makes him jerk up from his stationary position wondering what the hell is going on. Just as he's about to say something, what she does makes him silent.

Ethan's penis is slowly being licked by Ariana and he immediately falls back down to the stationary position he was previously in. As Ariana sensuously licks up and down his member, she feels how hot Ethan's penis is and it's also turning her on more as she continues to lick all that she can to satisfy her lover. Her mouth goes all the way down to the base but comes back up to taste the precum; the taste is a bit salty due to the sweat of their activities but she still appreciates the taste.

Ethan thought it couldn't get any better than this until he felt her mouth on the tip of his penis. With yet another smirk, she had taken him into her mouth and it felt like heaven to him. He could feel her swirling her velvety tongue around and her mouth felt so warm. She was swallowing him inch by inch and the thought of releasing himself into her mouth kept playing back into his head.

As her tongue kept doing its tricks on his rod of flesh, she cupped his balls and started playing with that also while sucking him off. This was just too damn good to be true, here he was getting sucked off by one of the most beautiful women he had ever met and she was fantastic at it! The soft feeling of her mouth joined by the fondling of his testicles had made him want more so he decided to put a little more of his 'help' to accompany her and make the feeling more pleasurable. He saw her mop of red hair and put his hands in it pushing her all the way down to the root for maximized pleasure.

The sucking continued and it surprised her when he just put his hands on her head and pushed it down. She didn't really complain though, she liked that he was being a bit rough and was taking charge a bit. She still continued sucking until she sensed that Ethan was almost to his peak so she just kept going and going until he could no longer hold on any more and it seems she was right.

"Ariana... I'm gonna... cum," Ethan was still holding her head down as he said this and he felt that release slowly emerging from within his body. He suddenly yelled when he finally released all of his seed into her mouth making her eyes widen at the sudden intrusion in her mouth. The feeling of sperm in her mouth made her pull her mouth off and she had coughed a bit.

"*Cough*, you really held it in for a while. I was actually starting to *cough* wonder if you would ever cum. I'm glad to see I was able to do so. *Cough*"

Seeing her cough from his seed, he crawled up to her just to make sure that she was ok.

"Hey, you ok? Sorry about that but it has been a while since... you know."

Moved by how much he cared about her well being, she assured him that she was perfectly fine with what just happened.

"It was a bit much than expected but I'm ok."

She still had some of the sperm in her mouth so she either had a choice to either swallow or spit out. She had chosen the former and swallowed all the male essence that was in her mouth. Seeing that some spilled from her mouth to her mounds, she scooped it up with a finger putting it in her mouth and swallowing the rest of the seed.

"Mmm, that was delicious." she had said in one of her best seductive voices yet which made Ethan hard once more.

With no more holding back, he pushed her back and starting feeling around her stomach making her vocalize low mewls showing that it felt good to hear. He eventually caught that she still had her pants on and felt like it wasn't fair that he was the only one fully naked while she had articles of clothing still on.

As he eyed her legs, he reached the buttons of her pants and started taking them down revealing the matching red and black panties. A scent started to waft through the air and Ethan had inhaled it noticing that it was Ariana's arousal coming from within her nether regions. It had the scent of...rawstberries. Seeing that he did enjoy the scent, he moved his face to her panties and gave it a slow lick which caused her to stifle a moan that left her mouth. Seeing that he wanted more of that same reaction out of her, he proceeded to take off her panties.

Pulling down the soaked garment, he saw her flower which had a patch of trimmed red hair and was glistening with her personal nectar from all they had been doing until this point. This caused her to blush furiously just from having him look at her most sacred region, she wanted to close her legs but it wouldn't be fair to Ethan so she made it her best to keep her legs open as much as possible. It wasn't often that many men saw this part because she felt so vulnerable to what they thought of her. Would it be a good or a bad reaction? So many questions went through her head at this moment.

Ethan went closer and took a good look at it amazed that so much of her had been soaked. To go further, he used his index and middle fingers to insert in her orifice and she immediately let out a hearty moan which definitely indicated that she liked it. As he starting moving his fingers back and forth inside, moans that she left sealed within her had eventually found its way out from the chamber of her throat. More sweat had started to drop from her as she enjoyed the thrusting of his fingers inside her. She started to grip onto the sheets as her body convulsed from all the sensations that were running up her spine.

Ariana's mind was starting to wander away from her as she just kept feeling the fingers inside move around her while also making noises. Her tongue was outside, her thoughts were incoherent, he was turning her into something she normally wasn't. She moaned and whimpered at the two foreign objects in her and it felt amazing to her. Ethan had stopped all of a sudden when he saw her face: all lusty and mind-boggled. He was happy at this.

Then he decided to do something to her that she did to him earlier. He had a grin on his face then went to her stomach and licked some of the sweat off.

"I feel that I should repay you back for what you did earlier, I believe that you should be treated just as you treated me," Ariana was trying to figure out what he was talking about until she finally caught on to what he was referring to.

As she wanted to open her mouth to say something, it was too late. Ethan's tongue was already inside her tasting her sweetness, he was licking all of her juices inside and outside and he even described the taste as a bit tangy but sweet at the same time. Knowing that it wasn't simple to get her off, he thrust his tongue upwards creating his own navigation to find her g-spot. This made her let out one of the loudest moans of the night and she immediately bit down on the pillow to muffle her voice hoping not to wake Murkrow up.

This was becoming too intense for her, her body was betraying her mind. She wanted to say something but she just couldn't because of the pleasure. Her hair was wildly whipping back and forth and she just couldn't take much anymore. Indeed, his tongue did feel better than his fingers but she wanted something bigger inside her. All she could hope was that she was getting it soon.

The restraints on her body was starting to wear down on her, the pit of her stomach was starting to feel hot and she felt herself about to release soon. Slowly, it was rising and Ethan hadn't let up on licking her insides until he finally came out and saw the the little bundle of nerves standing at the top of her flower. Knowing that it was one of the most sensitive parts of a woman, he opened his mouth and gently bit her clitoris.

It was time for her to burst, as she felt him bite down on her clitoris, she couldn't hold it anymore and let out a gushing torrent of juices from her opening, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" she screamed with much force. Her body was shaking and she felt like going back on that Altaria's cloud and staying there for the rest of her life after obtaining that much needed release. Her body was trembling after her orgasm and she was so overcome with desire that she didn't care what she did anymore. She really wanted to hold Ethan but just couldn't bring up the strength at the moment so she spoke to him from where she laid.

"E-ethan? Can you... come up to me... please?" She was speaking so low that her voice started to sound all raspy.

Ethan did come up to her and pull her up seeing that her body was tired and she was still trembling. It was almost close to the final part and he wanted to make sure that they were both ready for this.

"You ok? Sorry again if that was a bit too much for you. I just felt that I should repay you back for what you did earlier." He kissed her again with his tongue sneaking its way into her mouth and she responded back by mingling her tongue with his also. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she put a lot more passion into the kiss since he had treated her so well and she wanted him to have every ounce of her being.

Breaking apart from the kiss, Ariana was finally ready for the moment they had been waiting for until this point. "Ethan, I... want you to put it in... please. I'm ready to do this final step, I want our hearts to unite in the most intimate way ever," She was ready to give him everything she had since she entrusted everything to her.

Ethan looked at her and he held her so tenderly that she was starting to gain some strength just from being hugged. He was ready to do this but being the gentleman he was, he asked her again, "Are you ready for this Ariana because I won't be able to stop once I start."

She had no reason to deny him and she knew he would never leave her for anybody else, "Yes, I'm ready to do this. So please, make love to me Ethan."

Another question went through him, "But what about protection? Shouldn't we be a bit car-" Ariana put a finger to his lips to stop him.

"I want to feel everything that you have to offer me. I love you Ethan and I want this just as much as you do so no protection. I want this."

That immediately did it for him, he positioned his penis near her womanhood and inserted himself until he could go no more. He made sure to do it slowly since she was still feeling it from her recent orgasm and what he felt inside he couldn't put into words; her insides felt so warm and velvety that he felt like cumming immediately but held on, he didn't want it to end that fast.

He waited for some time for her to get adjusted to his girth so he stayed still for the time being. Seeing that he was waiting for her to say it was ok, she kissed him and said, "It's ok Ethan, please move," which he did and a moan immediately left her mouth.

The feeling was amazing to both of them, he slowly pulled in and out of her entrance which made tears of happiness appear. Ethan felt so amazed that his normal speech had been substituted with words to accommodate the current situation.

"Ah fuck, Ariana. Your pussy feels so good and tight." He probably didn't even realize those words even left his mouth because she just felt so good. Now Ariana had only been with three men in her entire life which she had romantic relationships but Ethan proved to be the best lover she had. They way he moved inside her was making her feel like she was the only woman in the world that mattered to him.

The slow movements were making her wet even more but she wanted him to go further so she could reach that point. She started bucking her hips when she wanted more and she even spoke to emphasize what she wanted.

"P-please go f-faster and harder Ethan. I want all of you inside me." She responded with a smile and that made him even more hard as his thrusting moved furiously and much harder.

The rapid thrusting of her womanhood made them both sweat a lot more and they felt their peaks about to come so they just enjoyed the moment. Ariana's alabaster skin looked so beautiful and he was happy once more just to found out that he was the one doing this to her, the feeling was like no other he had ever felt before.

Seeing that he could still hold on from releasing, he asked Ariana if she wanted to be on top and she replied with pushing him down and bouncing up and down on his muscular body. This position was so new to the both of them since Ethan never did it before and Ariana's former lovers never really bothered to ask her if she was interested. Oh well, that was the past and this is now, she didn't really have a reason to dwell on the past but just enjoy what was happening now.

Ariana could feel every ounce of passion and care into the thrusts which traveled through her veins. As much as she wanted to continue, she felt that same feeling earlier when Ethan was licking her down there which indicated that this was going to end soon.

She held tight onto him, fingers sinking deep into his shoulder but he didn't mind the pain, it was actually a bit of a turn-on. "E-ethan, I'm... I'm gonna cum soon so please don't stop," Ethan also felt that he wasn't going to be able to hold on soon so he just kept thrusting inside her until his own release came.

Their orgasms simultaneously came and they screamed each other's names to show that they were both ready to just let go.

"Ariana, I'm cumming!"

"Me too Ethan, let everything out inside me..."

They both came and the feeling was simply incredible, Ariana felt Ethan's seed find a home in the recesses of her womb and she enjoyed how warm it made her body felt; Ethan felt her juices coat his penis and it was a good feeling for him also. He then pulled out with a deep exhalation.

They looked straight into each other's irises: crimson met gray. This caused them to blush at each other once again. As they did this, they also chuckled at each other as a result of what just transpired tonight which even made the atmosphere more comfortable. Slowly pulling out of her, Ethan pulled her closer to him and got the blankets as they were still basking in their euphoria.

"Wow, that was amazing. I'm really happy that we got to do this. I love you so much Ariana," He then pulled her closer to him, "So, so much."

Ariana felt her heart fly at what Ethan just said and she could without a doubt reciprocate those same feelings. "Ethan, I love you too! Thank you for making me feel so special and caring for me, I don't ever want to leave your side."

As it was late at night and of course they were going to feel too lazy to pick up their clothes, their eyes started to feel heavy seeing that they both exerted so much energy in their lovemaking. They both had content smiles with each other before they kissed one more time.

Ariana and Ethan both said "I love you" one more time before Ethan got the comforter and covered themselves. It was something they had never thought would happen- former enemies falling in love with each other but it did happen. As they looked towards the future to see what would come, they promised each other that they would always be there for each other. Whatever obstacles that would come towards them, they would handle it together or not at all. Seeing them sleep made the gods wonder about humanity and what brings them together, this moment could be the reason why they were so intrigued by humanity. There were some times when it was amazing and some when it was catastrophic. This right here was one of those amazing moments.

Morning had quickly come and it was time for them to wake up, Ariana had woken up and felt around the bed to see her lover but he was nowhere to be found.

"Huh, he probably must have woken up first. He's probably making breakfast or something. I need some panties and I need to take a shower," She headed into her bedroom and gotten herself a pair of panties, a pair of gym shorts and a tank top. She did need to get ready for work soon but she felt that she could spare a few minutes before taking a shower.

Walking downstairs, she saw Murkrow sitting down next to the couch and hugged her, Murkrow was surprised to see her trainer in such a good mood so her happiness kind of rubbed off on her. She then went to the kitchen and saw Ethan cooking breakfast, with a sly smirk she tiptoed all the way behind while putting her arms around him from behind.

"Good morning." she said in a seductive tone.

Ethan turned around and kissed her on the lips, "And a good morning to you too my dear lady. Did you sleep good?"

"Of course I did, you was with me, remember? It was also one of the best sleeps I've ever had." She looked around the kitchen to look at what he was cooking and she saw that he was cooking some simple waffles and sausages. She inhaled the pleasant smell of the food; as much as she wanted to eat, she decided that a shower first would be the wiser choice since she did still have to go to work.

"I'm going to take a shower first and you're welcome to join me if you want," she replied with a suggestive tone.

Ethan laughed at what she just said, "As much as I would like that, I took shower already and I have a little gift for you once you're done with your shower."

She was surprised at what he just said. He had a gift for her? Just what could it be? Many things went through her head trying to figure what it was that he got for her. Eh, she would just let him surprise her but she felt she had the greatest gift already which was already living with Ethan, nothing could be better than that to her.

She went to the shower and cleaned herself up, then went to her bedroom to get some clothes for her day. She was wearing a pink button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a black pleated skirt and some black flats for her day. After she was done, she went and got some breakfast with Ethan and sat next to him, something she recently did when the fifth month had started of her residency with him. She definitely didn't forget about that gift that he said he had for her. She put her arms around him to make herself more cozy.

"So where's that gift you said you had for me? I can't wait anymore." She was beaming with anticipation and she just wanted to know what he got for her.

"Alright, alright. I'll be back in a few minutes so just hold on for a bit." He said to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek before he went to his room and gotten a pokeball with a pink bow and a sticky note on it. He came back downstairs and told her to close her eyes. Even Murkrow closed her eyes too wondering what could it be that he got for her.

He then brought the pokeball out of his vest pocket and told her to hold her hands out which she did without any hesitation. He then placed the pokeball inside her hands and told her to open her eyes.

"Huh? A pokeball?" She was a bit confused with the gift not getting if there was a bigger meaning to it but happy nonetheless since it was a gift.

"The gift is actually inside the pokeball, throw it in the air and find out what it is. I think you'll be happy."

She did as she was told and a surge of white energy emerged from the ball before it solidified and a physical manifestation was taking place. An Eevee had appeared on the ground and was jumping around.

"Eevee, ee!" The little pokemon happily squealed.

Ariana wanted to cry, Ethan had gotten her an Eevee as a gift to celebrate their six-month anniversary of living together. She couldn't even form words at what he just did for her. She then went to the Eevee and picked it up patting and rubbing its head.

"Oh Ethan, thank you, thank you thank you! Oh my goodness, he's so cute and he's all mine?"

"Yep, he belongs to you as of this moment. I even made sure to register him as yours when I was pre-ordering. I know you caught yourself a Poochyena, Castform, and a Budew but I felt I should be able to get you at least one gift, I mean you are my girlfriend now. Also, read the note." He said all this while scratching the back of his head chuckling.

**Dear Ariana**

**'This is my gift to you, I'm grateful that for these last few months that we've lived together and I wanted to give you this Eevee because I know you'll treat him with love just as much as you do with the other pokemon. I love you my dear Ariana and I never want to let you go as long as I'm here. **

**Love, Ethan.'**

Ariana then ran up to him and gave him one of the best kisses that she had ever given him. Nobody had ever gotten her a gift of this caliber so she gave her thanks the best way she could. She was so happy that he went through all this trouble for her when at times she felt like she didn't even deserve it but that was all in the past. She was just so grateful about all that took place and happy her life took such an 180, it was just truly amazing to her.

"Thank you Ethan, this is one of the greatest things anyone has ever done for me. You truly have no idea how I feel at this, I'm so overwhelmed and thank you again."

"No problem, I'm pretty happy that we were able to get to this point and I definitely don't regret doing any of the stuff that I did while with you. As I said, I wouldn't want such a beautiful woman throwing her life away when she has the potential to do something better." He then hugged her and Ariana cried at his short speech.

"My goodness, everybody's going to question why I'm crying so early in the morning. What time is it anyways?"

"It's 8:45 now, do you have to get to work soon?"

"Yeah, I have to be there by 9:30."

"Well, I can fly you to Goldenrod first because I'm never really in any rush to get to work so how about I drop you off first at your place?"

"That would be delightful. Also, thank you for the gift once more."

"No problem but I think we should leave now so you can get there in effective time." She agreed with what he said and returned Murkrow and her new Eevee to their pokeballs while also grabbing her bag.

Now it was time for their daily morning routine which they always found fun in. They both got on Salamance and flew to Ariana's workplace first in about 30 minutes. She got off and kissed Ethan goodbye, she then looked at him flying off on his way to the Sinnoh region to discuss some business about the new gyms that were being constructed. She was ready for her morning as she usually was.

"Time to start the new day!" and she headed into the daycare to start enjoying the job she loved to do.

What had brought these two particular individuals together? Maybe it was fate or destiny that had a role in their meeting, who knows? One thing was for sure, a relationship was formed during their meeting. Now, they didn't see other as enemies but as each other's significant other in their lives. As they did deal with the good and bad of life, they always found a way to get through it with very little trouble. Both Ethan and Ariana felt like they were the answers to their lives and were extremely grateful. It seems that they always had that one person to help build them back up.

***Epilogue***

Two years had went by since those events and life was so much better for both Ethan and Ariana. They were still living in Blackthorn City and their love had grown even more since they were able to discuss how their loves were during the past 11 years.

Ethan was opening training schools in different regions for future pokemon trainers to prepare themselves for their own journeys in the future. He was also trying to do more such as challenging the Frontier Brains still maintaining his Elite Four status and as champion. It seemed they were hard and that he had a lot of work to do before he could challenge them again. What can you say, he always loved a challenge.

Ariana had built her own daycare in Sunyshore City and made sure all pokemon were treated right. She didn't want anybody to treat pokemon with malice as she did with Team Rocket so she made sure to start a creed of treating pokemon just as they were human beings themselves. She was also six months pregnant with twins. She had never thought of being a mother but she was grateful for the opportunity to nurture her's and Ethan's kids with as much love and care as possible.

She had also went to Unova to visit Archer since that was where the Interpol headquarters were located at. It had been 13 years since they last saw each other and they were able to catch up after all this time. It seems that Archer was also going to be free in a few months so she eagerly awaited for his return to society.

Currently on their day off, Ethan was painting the back of their house because they both agreed that since they were starting a family, it was time for a new scene of change. Ariana was sitting down inside the house with her Honchkrow (due to Ethan getting a dusk stone for her) and her Umbreon. It seems that she had an affinity for dark types like Karen and her Mightyena was currently resting outside.

Honchkrow came to Ethan while he was on a ladder currently painting and he knew what that meant. Ariana must have wanted him to do something since she was carrying their kids so she wanted to be spoiled for a while.

"Does Ariana want something Honchkrow?" For some reason, she always liked sending out Honchkrow to get Ethan.

"Honchkrow." was its only reply as she nodded.

"Ethan!" He heard her yell and climbed down the ladder to see what she requested only to see her standing right in front of the gate with her hands on the side looking pretty irritated.

Ethan chuckled sheepishly after seeing her there, "Is there anything you want Ariana?"

"Yes dummy, I want you to massage my shoulders and my back," she then pointed to said parts while she was holding her expanded stomach. Pregnancy had made her a bit hormonal as does all women but he learned to man up and accept it.

"You must really love massages, huh?"

"Well, I need some sort of reward for carrying our twins," she looked at him with Lillipup eyes, "Don't I Ethan?"

He just couldn't win against her when she used those eyes so he just succumbed to the request and brought her to the lawn chair so she could sit while he massaged her.

"Well, this was unexpected."

"What exactly are you talking about Ethan?"

"I mean the meeting, living together, our relationship," he rubbed her stomach making her giggle a bit, "this pregnancy. It's so unexpected and crazy at the same time."

"Well, that's how life goes sometimes, expect the unexpected. Sometimes you never know what you might get out of it. You were my grace Ethan and that's something I'll never be able to thank you enough for. I hope that we can teach our children that there is faith, you just gotta keep on believing that it will happen when it happens."

"Well, I believe our children are gonna be perfectly fine, I mean they're coming from us so of course they're gonna have faith. You had it when I found you and I had it when I started to know more about you. I think they'll be perfectly fine. After all, they're my kids."

She couldn't help but chuckle at what he said, "Aren't you a little cocky Mr. Champion but I like that about you." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "But anyways, back to my massage and you can't leave until I say stop, got it?"

Ethan rolled her eyes at what she said but did as told, "Yes ma'am."

It seemed that they had a lot to look forward to- their life, their future children, new challenges and a whole bunch of things. Right now, as they were in the presence of each other, they simply enjoyed what the present had already given them.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading. Send me reviews, constructive criticism, flames even. I do plan to do a few side stories revolving around these two. You can even ask me if you want to do a story with these two. I still have a lot to learn but I'm slowly getting up there step by step. Until next time, take care.


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